Transformers For 12V LED Lighting

Choosing a suitable transformer for use with 12 Volt DC LED lighting

12 Volt LED light bulbs can either be powered directly from a 12V DC source (such as a battery bank) or via a transformer which turns mains electricity (240VAC in the UK) into 12 Volts DC.

Existing transformers typically used with halogen spotlights can usually be used however there is one problem. Since the transformer expects one or more 30+ Watt bulbs to be connected to it, the voltage output when a few 1 Watt LED spotlights are connected can exceed the transformer's 12V rating. LED spotlights are sensitive to voltage, with 13 to 13.5V being the typical absolute maximum useable before permanent damage to the bulbs occurs.

One way around this problem is to keep at least one halogen spotlight in every lighting circuit containing LED spotlights to keep the voltage down. However, this is inefficient because a) halogen bulbs use 20x more energy than LED bulbs, and because b) any transformer which has this problem is likely to be inefficient anyway.

Transformers for 12 Volt LED Lighting

Now that 12V LED spotlights are becoming more common, a wide selection of dedicated LED enabled transformers are coming onto the market. Though typically a little more expensive than a standard transformer, they ensure that LED light bulbs will last their full lifetime. LED transformers also work efficiently thereby more than covering the small initial extra cost with electricity savings.

There are two basic types of LED transformer: constant current and constant voltage:

A constant voltage LED driver (ie transformer) will output exactly 12.0V DC. 12V LED spotlight bulbs and other 12V powered LED units can be connected in parallel to such a driver. Thanks to the parallel connections, if one bulb dies, the remaining bulbs will stay on.

A constant current LED driver will ouput a fixed current - for example, 350mA models are available for use with 1 Watt LED bulbs (not 12V LED spotlights). The bulbs must be connected in series to such a device.

For 12 Volt DC LED spotlight bulbs, the constant voltage option should be used. Pictured above is the Aurora AU-LED16T, a constant voltage LED driver. This driver can be used to power up to 16 12 Volt DC 1 Watt LED spotlights, or any mixture of 1, 2, 3W etc spotlights totalling a maximum of 16 Watts power consumption. There are connection points for three separate parallel strings of bulbs from the driver making it easy to minimise the amount of wire required to connect up a full lighting circuit.

The AU-LED16T has loop-in, loop-out primary wiring terminals so there is no need for a junction box, and it offers short circuit protection, thermal protection (to prevent overheating), and surge protection. This product is currently available in the UK for around £15.

Click here for the AU-LED16T Instructions (PDF).

Dimmable Transformers

Standard transformers cannot be used with LED bulbs. Fortunately new dimmable LED drivers are coming onto the market. They are still pretty expensive, but prices will come down in the next couple of years, and the electricity cost savings are still sufficient to cancel out the extra initial costs.

Pictured above is the Aurora AU-LEDD16CC, a 1-16Watt dimmable 350mA constant current LED driver (transformer). It is designed to be used with 1 Watt LEDs (and not for 12V spotlight bulbs), and can power up to 16 1W LEDs in two series-connected circuits of 1-8 LEDs.

This driver is fitted with overload protection, short-circuit protection, and surge protection, and comes with a full 3 year guarantee. It's currently available in the UK for around £40. Click here for the Aurora AU-LEDD16CC Instructions (PDF).

Eco Eye Energy Monitor

Eco-Eye is the latest realtime wireless electricity monitor to come onto the UK market designed to help people to reduce their carbon footprint by saving electricity.
Eco-Eye joins the Owl (Owl review), Efergy (Efergy review), and Wattson wireless electricity meters, all of which do the same thing - display realtime electricity usage figures to help people reduce their energy consumption.

Eco-Eye was launched in March 2008 offering a depth of features not currently found on the Owl, Efergy, and Wattson models. Like Efergy and Wattson, Eco-Eye has memory and therefore can store, display, and compare historical electricity usage statistics by hour, day, week, month, or year.

Eco-Eye has been designed, and is being manufactured here in the UK. Two models will be available: the Eco-Eye Elite for home-users with a £49.99 RRP (same as OWL, but more expensive than Efergy), and Eco-Eye Mini which is designed for the high-volume corporate market (such as energy companies) and will be sold at as little as £20 per unit.

Freeplay Companion Radio

A review of the new Freeplay Mini Companion self sufficient AM/FM radio

The Freeplay Companion (pictured above) is a new wind-up radio, torch, and mobile phone charger from Freeplay.

We recently reviewed the excellent EyeMax Freeplay Radio on the REUK website, so we were looking forward to reviewing the Companion which has the added benefit of mobile phone charging capability.

Powering the Freeplay Companion

The Freeplay Companion is fitted with yet another brilliant three-phase alternator containing six N35H grade neodymium magnets. The magnets are fitted skewed to minimise cogging ensuring very smooth hand winding. One minute of winding will give 20 minutes of radio play (at low to medium volume), or 30 minutes of torch light. A tiny LED indicator shows when your winding is fast enough to charge the battery.

A 5.5V 30mA epoxy encapsulated polycrystalline PV solar panel is fitted under a polycarbonate lens. In direct sunlight, this panel produces enough electricity to keep the radio powered continuously (at low to medium volumes). It also helps to keep the internal battery pack topped up when the device is not in use.

A standard mini-USB socket is fitted through which you can charge the internal batteries via any standard mini-USB charger (or PC USB socket - cable not included). A full charge will give upto 12 hours of radio play.

The Radio

As with the Freeplay EyeMax, the Companion offers excellent sound quality - even at full volume. The fitted speaker is just 0.4 Watts but it is loud enough for use outdoors and on the beach as well as in a very large room. A headphone socket is fitted which also offers excellent sound quality (and reduces electricity consumption). Tuning the radio is very easy with both the FM and AM bands, and (particularly with the FM band) the reception cannot be faulted despite the fitted aerial being just 300mm long at maximum extension.

The Torch

The Freeplay Companion is fitted with an LED torch with a polycarbonate lens. The three LEDs put out a decent amount of light, and 30 seconds of winding will provide around one minute of torch light. You can press the torch switch all the way down until it locks for continuous (hands free) operation, or press (and hold it) half way down to light the torch as and when you need a burst of light. From a fully charged battery, the torch will shine for 16 hours.

Mobile Phone Charging

A new style Nokia charging cable is supplied. One end plugs into the Freeplay Companion, and the other end directly into your (recent model) Nokia mobile phone*. A one minute wind will provide up to 2-3 minutes of mobile phone talk time (depending on the age and quality of the phone battery, local signal strength, and the phone model).
* For phones from other manufacturers you will need to purchase a cable with a (standard) 1.3mm DC jack on one end, and the correct connector for your mobile phone on the other.

Replacing the Battery Pack

In our review of the EyeMax we demonstrated how it is possible to replace the internal NiMH rechargeable batteries with higher capacity equivalents. With the Companion this is a much simpler endeavour since the battery pack is designed to be accessible and replaceable. The 3.6V 2/3 AAA pack can therefore be replaced every 3-5 or so years (as is unfortunately necessary) with what is a very common (and therefore cheap) battery pack found in many cordless telephones , walkie talkies, and radio controlled toys.

The battery bay is accessed with the removal of just one screw. The Freeplay battery pack is connected to the radio by a standard plug in connector as shown above. Therefore, the Companion truly can last for a lifetime.

Specifications and Conclusions

The Freeplay Companion is designed to be carried around and is just 125mm wide, 60mm high, and 42mm deep, and weighs around 225 grams. A fabric wrist strap is included in the package for ease of carrying. As with all recent Freeplay products, the Companion is very well built from good quality materials. The case panels are fully rubberised and reinforced, and a rubber gasket seal helps keep moisture out. The volume and tuning control knobs are recessed to that they are less likely to be damaged by impacts, and torch on button is rubber sealed.

We highly recommend the Freeplay Companion . It does everything you would expect of it very well, it is sturdy and well built, well priced (around £20), and it will last for a very long time. Thanks to the ease of access to the internal battery pack, less people will throw away their wind-up radio after a few years when its batteries stop holding charge well, and the addition of a mobile phone charger is a great benefit (particularly if you have a Nokia phone). This product is the first thing I'll be packing when I go on holiday this summer or on a picnic or barbecue.

Summer in Europe: Where to Go and What to Wear

Looking to make a splash this summer? Here, what to wear (and where to go) in three of Europe’s most glamorous coastal towns, Portofino, Île de Ré, and Ibiza.

From May 2008

By Christine Ajudua and Catesby Holmes

Portofino

This small fishing port on the Italian Riviera draws the big names—and the big boats—of the beau monde.

Getting Around

The best beaches are accessible only by sea, but if you won’t be chartering your own yacht, take a half-hour ferry ride or a two-hour clifftop walk north to the bay of San Fruttuoso. There, a stunning, thousand-year-old Benedictine abbey sits on a stretch of golden sand.

Stay

More than a few VIP’s (the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Catherine Deneuve) have signed the visitors’ book at Hotel Splendido (16 Salita Baratta; 800/223-6800 or 39-0185/267-801; hotelsplendido.com; doubles from $1,229, including breakfast), a 16th-century monastery situated on a cliff over Portofino Bay.

Eat

For handmade pappardelle with pesto and prime people-watching, reserve an outdoor table at Ristorante Puny (5 Piazza Martiri dell’Olivetta; 39-0185/269-037; dinner for two $230), in the main square.

After Dark

Head to the terrace at Splendido Mare’s Chuflay Bar Restaurant (2 Via Roma; 39-0185/267-802) for a cocktail under the stars.

Ibiza

A thriving club scene only camouflages the wild, craggy Spanish island’s raisons d’être: private azure coves, sleepy inland villages, and one-of-a-kind shopping.

Getting Around

Rent a car to best enjoy the haute-hippie pleasures that attract regulars like Elle MacPherson and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Stop at Cala d’en Serra, a rocky inlet dotted with sunbathers, and Las Dalias (Km 12, Crta. San Carlos; 34/97-132-6825; lasdalias.com), an outdoor market with vintage jewelry and boho-chic beach linens.

Stay

A restored farmhouse on a traditional estate, Can Curreu (Km 12, Crta. Sant Carles; 34/97-133-5280; cancurreu.com; doubles from $337) has 12 cottages as well as endless orange, pear, and apple groves.

Eat

The seafood is excellent and the setting romantic at Restaurante Plaza del Sol (7 Plaça del Sol; 34/97-139-0773; dinner for two $150), on a hidden stone terrace in the Old Town. •after dark Go barhopping near the port; don’t miss the sangria at Rock Bar (14 Calle Cipriano Garijo; 34/97-131-0129).

Île de Ré

Well-heeled Parisians spend their summers barefoot on this idyllic Atlantic island, which is called the Hamptons of France.

Getting Around

62 miles of hollyhock-studded bike paths crisscross poppy fields, vineyards, and oyster farms. Ride to Relais Thalasso (Port Notre-Dame, Ste.-Marie-de-Ré 33-5/46-30-22-44; relaisthalasso.com) for seawater treatments. Or go swimming at a duned beach off the south shore village of Le Bois Plage-en-Ré.

Stay

A smart base is L’Hotel de Toiras (1 Quai Job Foran; 33-5/46-35-40-32; hotel-de-toiras.com; doubles from $380), a typical whitewashed, low-slung 17th-century house turned hotel in St.-Martin-de-Ré, on the north coast.

Eat

For regional seafood dishes, try Le Chat Botté (20 Rue de la Mairie, St.-Clément; 33-5/46-29-42-09; dinner for two $125).

The Art of Shopping in Vienna

A real Gustav Klimt might be out of your price range, but at B (9 Westbahnstrasse; 43-1/890-5803; m-ars.at), a new supermarket in Vienna stocked with works of art instead of groceries, the contemporary Klimts are well within reach. A five-minute walk from the city’s MuseumsQuartier, the no-frills shop functions just like any other supermarket, complete with baskets and checkout stations with scanners. A distinguished panel of art historians and directors from European museums and cultural academies curates the collection—more than 1,000 paintings, sculptures, and photographs by 50 artists, including the much-lauded Joerg Auzinger, an Austrian mixed-media artist known for his bold graphic images. And with prices that run the gamut from $15 to $1,300, M-ARS elevates bargain-hunting to an art form.

The Waterproof Barbour Jacket

Since its humble beginnings on the farms of Britain, the waterproof Barbour jacket has traveled far and wide.

John Barbour began making oilskin jackets in South Shields, England, in 1906 to keep sheepherders warm and dry on the lonely, damp moors. During World War I, the Royal Army outfitted soldiers with the durable coats because their construction—double-rolled seams stitched through two layers of fabric; a sturdy waxed-cotton exterior—kept out the elements on the front lines. Finishing touches still include a smart cotton tartan lining, corduroy collar, and brass zipper. Since 1974, the royal family has worn J. Barbour & Sons outerwear, making the label synonymous with patrician style. But the jacket also has a newfound appeal that makes it versatile enough for a getaway in the country, a hike in the Alps, or even a night of “fox hunting” on the town.